Beer, Bread, & Baby: August 2012

Happy 2 year Anniversary Brian!

I could do a blog entry, or many blog entries on how lucky I am, how happy I am, how I wouldn't choose anything different ever. Instead, I want to remember a very special day, full of laughter and how all the days since have only reinforced why we chose each other. Brian is my best friend and my buddy for life. On April 27th, 2010 we were lucky enough to have an amazing day to make that official. We shared the day with family and friends and it was some of the most fun I have ever had.

We got married at the Lodge in Sunriver. Everything was perfect. I spent the morning with my Sister and Danielle getting pampered, Brian played golf with the boys. We had a short ceremony at 5pm. A string quartet played Canon D as I came down the aisle with my Dad. Brian looked so handsome at the end of the aisle. My dress was a surprise to him, so was his little outfit to me. He wanted it that way. Our best friend Sam married us and he did an amazing job. We had two groups of speakers who were both hilarious. Here is what Amanda, Amy, and Heather shared that day:

The best love stories always have unique beginnings. And for Liz and Brian, this couldn’t be more true. As coworkers, we had a unique perspective of watching the story of Liz and Brian unfold from the start.

It’s been said that you find love, as if it were an object hidden under a rock. But love has a way of evolving, a way of surprising you, and a way of taking hold when you least expect it. Liz and Brian happened to find their love on the third floor of the Pete Sampras building at Nike. Promoted to the same role, at the same time, in the same office. The circumstances may have seemed ordinary… but turned into something so much more

You may be wondering, what is Briz? Some couples are given celebrity nicknames. In Hollywood, it’s Brangelina. At Nike, It was Briz. What started as office gossip turned into a full scale investigation –There were sightings, there were meetings, rumors, theories about these two. There was many lunch time planning discussions revolving strictly around them. – Were they dating, were they not? Who made the first move? Whose secretly in love with who? What about that overlapping 2 week vacation? Was Liz in Maui, or Mexico? Although they relentlessly tried to hide it – and shut down any rumors; it’s hard to hide a love like theirs.

Because some people just belong together.

As soon as the word was out, they were relieved, and so were we. After months and months of detective work, the couple we were always rooting for and hoped would be together were officially, official.

It seems that the best relationships, especially the ones that last, are rooted in friendship. Where one day (sitting in their shared office), they looked at each other and saw something more than they did the night before. And the person who was just a friend is now suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with (the person you can’t live without). And here they are today, despite their unique journey, exactly where they are supposed to be.

We had a short cocktail hour and then headed into the Great Hall for dinner. The room was so pretty and I heard the food was pretty good, I don't really remember any of it! We had some speeches, my Dad, my sister, and our friend (best man) Chris Cameron. Here is what my sister said that day, she was great:

First and foremost, I want to introduce myself for those of you that may not know me. I’m Stephanie…the younger, slightly wilder sister of Miss Liz. I feel honored to be able to speak on behalf of our family, but please know that these words are said through me, but come from all of us. Now, I know my mom is not going to like this, but I’m going to refer to my sister as Liz or Sissy throughout this speech even though her name is Elizabeth. If you heard the way I just said that…you’ll understand why I am choosing to call her something else. I can’t seem to say my sister’s name without a lisp.

My sissy and I have always been close. She is the typical first child…protective, caring, bossy, and always looking out for me. We have so many great memories from our childhood, growing up side by side…competing and loving each other the way we do. We played steal the babies, basketball late at night with a flashlight propped to shine on the hoop, 2 years of Varsity Volleyball, 2 years of the same college, shared the memories of Semester at Sea, moving to San Francisco after college and then becoming Co Workers at Williams Sonoma. Now, I’m not trying to paint a rosy unrealistic picture of sisterhood, because we all know that there are plenty of not so pretty moments too. Like the time when Liz wanted to kiss me so badly…I ran and she fell into the piano and broke her front tooth, or when I threw a remote at her head and it almost broke a window, and my personal favorite…our morning run in SF where we yelled, screamed (and I think I even tried to hit her), as people stared at two grown women in hysterics running their bi weekly 6.5 mile loop. Amazingly…I think we PR’d and hi fived at the end. Regardless of what we fought about, or how mad we were... after every argument…we ended up laughing uncontrollably…realizing what fools we were….and that we really are so lucky to share the title of sisters.

Our relationship grew even stronger when we lived in San Francisco and both worked for Williams Sonoma. I would show up at work and stop by her cube (after she'd been there for an hour already)...and say good morning! She had already run 18 miles, eaten breakfast (cereal and milk at her desk) and drank a grande coffee. I was lucky to have showered. Our days were never exactly the same, but I always knew that I’d have a friend to walk home with at the end of the day. We would wrap our pashminas around our heads to shield our ears from the bay wind, change into our Nike “toe” shoes, and head home rain or shine…together. Sometimes we’d part ways on the corner of Bay and Fillmore…but sometimes we would turn towards the city and head to Left at Albequerques or Eastside West for a martini (or a light beer if you’re Liz.) We would save up conversation and pieces of gossip until we had our drinks…and there were times where we laughed about a bad date, or complained about work and our bosses, but most of the time we talked about life, love...and dreams of our future. I started to see Liz not only as a sister, but as the incredible woman that I know today. Not the little girl that I played barbies with, but a woman with endless amounts of love and the amazing ability to be so selfless and compassionate to those close to her. She has, and always will be, an inspiration…and those days for me are priceless.

Then Liz moved back to Portland. She started working at Nike and seemed to love her job to the point where I wondered if Nike was actually work...or if they just sat around and drank beer all day. She mentioned that she shared an office with a guy named Brian….and she really liked her job because of her great boss and awesome team. I didn’t think anything of it at the time…

Then I saw her with Brian. We went to Oba in the Pearl district while I was home for Christmas break. Several cocktails later, I stumbled in to wake up my mom at 1 am because I knew Brian and Liz should be together. I had never seen my sister light up the way she did when she was with Brian. He made her laugh, smile, and I could tell that being with him made her feel alive. I honestly could not have picked someone more perfect for my beautiful sister than Brian. He is funny (but not too funny to take away from my sister’s humor), intelligent, caring, thoughtful, has a great support system of family and friends that he loves and who love him back, calls himself “pear shaped”, likes dogs and monkeys (a personal favorite), loves bacon, and above everything else…thinks the world of my sister. Brian- I know you will take great care of my sister and my best friend. I am truly honored to call you my brother today.

So, after just having watched them say their vows and commit to one another for the rest of their lives, for a small moment in time, the world seems just as it should be.

I ask you all to raise your glasses with me, and to my wonderful sister, let me cheers to you tonight with these words:

Memories of childhood may someday fade,

But never the special games we played,

Though our tea party days have come to an end,

You are always my sister, forever my friend.

Then we danced! I danced with my Dad to Paul Simons "Father and Daughter" and Brian danced with his Mom to Van Morrison's "There will be days like this." Then instead of the first dance, we brought it home and kicked off the party with this little ensemble.

I can't believe we were this brave. Take a look.

Click here for dance magic

It was just a big party after that. One that looked so fun we even had wedding crashers! I am not sure I sat down at all. What a night!

Leading up to our wedding we had a wedding website where each Brian and wrote each other's profiles. The sentiments I felt for him them are the same now, plus many more I have discovered along the way. Here is what I said about Brian:

1. Brian has brown eyes that make you want to melt and a smile you won't forget.

2. Brian loves life, he is always up for anything- I have more fun with him than I have anyone ever.

3. Brian is funny. He is really funny - and so beating him to a joke is something I strive for everyday because there is nothing better than hearing him laugh.

4. He is good at everything he tries.

5. Brian is smart - he makes me see straight, he says just the right thing, in the right moment that will always bring me back.

6. Brian is going to be a great Dad some day. I never thought I would be so lucky as to picture that future.

7. He is viciously loyal- once you are a friend of Brian's, you are a friend for life and he would do anything for you.

8. Brian is my best friend, he was long before I ever took advantage of him...I am so thankful it became more.

9. Just being around Brian makes you a better person, I didn't know it could be like this.

10. I told Brian after knowing him a couple of months that he was my favorite person I had met in Portland. I soon learned he would be my favorite person to every meet.

I am so excited to marry Brian.

I chose some of my favorite pictures of our day below. It was a great party.

Cheers to many more happy, healthy, full of laughter years ahead.